LEP region named as one of the most entrepreneurial in the UK
The Marches is one of the top five most entrepreneurial regions in the UK, a new report revealed today.
Figures showed there was more entrepreneurial activity in the Marches LEP region of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin than all of the UK's major cities, including London.
The Creating Successful Economies Report, published today, gives a review of economic activity in all of the UK's LEP areas.
Figures in the report show there are 27,730 enterprises in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, with 44 enterprises per 1,000 residents.
The only LEP areas with a higher level of entrepreneurial activity were Buckinghamshire Thames Valley, with 52 per 1,000 residents and the Enterprise M3 LEP (Hampshire and Surrey) at 45 per 1,000.
Dr Geoffrey Davies OBE, Chairman of the Marches LEP, said: “Entrepreneurship is essential for economic growth and the Marches has a proud history of starting new ventures and taking risks to create enterprises, some of which have changed the face of industry altogether.
“This entrepreneurial spirit is alive and thriving in the Marches in 2012, and it is this spirit which will foster private sector growth, creating new jobs.”
The report, compiled by the LEP Network, also highlighted the Marches as an area where manufacturing remains important, with between 14 and 15 per cent of the workforce employed in the sector.
David Frost, chairman of the LEP Network, said in the report: “Private-sector-led growth based on local strengths, assets, knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship is what will drive our local economies, helping to push the UK into economic recovery and growth.
“That is why Local Enterprise Partnerships have such a vital part to play in the challenges and opportunities facing us today. They offer a business-led approach to enable and facilitate local economic growth and development.”
